1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fitting of eyewear frames, and more particularly to the use of moldable pads for conforming the inner surfaces of an eyeglass frame to a wearer's facial features.
When a listing of life's minor annoyances is someday compiled, the tendency of eyeglasses and other eyewear frames to slip from their proper position on a wearer's face will be prominently mentioned. The fact that eyeglasses are manufactured in standard designs and sizes, while human physiognomy is not, assures that in most cases eyeglass frames will not fit as well as would be desired. In addition to slippage (which is exacerbated by sweat, oil, and cosmetics which lubricate the interface between the eyeglass frame and the face), ill-fitting eyeglasses can cause substantial discomfort as well as a reduction in optimal visual acuity.
In order to improve the fit of off-the-shelf eyeglass frames, the use of resilient nose bridge pads has been proposed. For example, thin silicone rubber pads are available having an adhesive surface which may be applied to the inner surface of the nose bridge of an eyeglass frame. The pads can temporarily and partially conform to the wearer's nose and a significant improvement in fit can be achieved. Such pads, however, do not retain the contour of the wearer's face and are thus not individually matched to the wearer's frames or facial features. Thus, in many cases, the pads fail to conform to the nose as closely as would be desired and still leave room for improvement.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide eyeglass pads which are substantially permanently conformable to an individual wearer's facial features. The pads should be inexpensive, easy to manufacture, easy to use, and be physiologically compatible. It would further be desirable to provide methods for applying such pads to an eyeglass frame and for subsequently conforming the shape of the pad to a wearer's facial features in an optician's office with minimum equipment.
2. Description of the Background Art
Pre-formed silicone rubber pads which may be adhesively attached to the inner surface of the nose bridge of an eyeglass frame are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,080; U.K. Patent Application 2 117 919A; and German Patent Application 29 38 241. Such a silicone rubber pad is commercially available from Hilco Eyecessories, Plainville, MA. Soft nose bridges for eyeglass frames are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,584,939 and 2,774,279. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,405,214; 4,131,341; and 3,582,193.